Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Tuesday said that Kyiv was not an obstacle to a peace deal with Russia, stating that Ukraine could achieve a just and lasting peace under the leadership of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Sybiha, speaking at an annual geopolitical conference in New Delhi, added that Ukraine was waiting for clarity on the peace process following the conversation between Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, expected later on Tuesday.
It could be recalled that Trump has been trying to get Putin to agree to a 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine accepted last week. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently maintained that Ukraine’s sovereignty is not negotiable and that Russia must surrender the territory it has seized.
“We are not the obstacle to achieving peace … we really expect from the Russian side an unconditional yes for a ceasefire,” Sybiha said.
Trump had stated that he would speak to Putin on Tuesday morning about ending the Ukraine war, with territorial concessions by Kyiv and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant likely to feature prominently in the talks.
The U.S. president, who as a presidential candidate promised to end the war within 24 hours, faces a tough negotiator in Putin, whom Zelenskyy has argued does not abide by agreements.
Sybiha accused Moscow of not wanting to end the war, adding that Ukraine would never recognize any of its territories occupied by Russian forces.
“Our approach: now is the time for diplomacy, for strong diplomacy. We also really believe that under the leadership of President Trump, we could achieve a long-lasting, just peace,” he added.